"Nothing will so avail to divide the church as the love of power." (John Chrysostom)
This is cited in a wonderful new book by John H. Armstrong, Your Church is Too Small. No, it's not a church growth book. Rather, it's an impassioned call by one who has taken and is on a special journey of faith. Armstrong argues that as the blurb on the back cover of the book puts it, "Jesus' vision of unity is for all God's people across social, cultural, racial, and denominational lines." Unity, not uniformity, at both the congregational and macro-levels, strengthens the Church to pursue the Great Commission--making disciples of Christ--and helps validate the gospel message of God's life-changing love given in Christ.
The love of power, whether at denominational levels or in individual congregations where factions throw their weight around with no regard for the authority of Scripture or Christ's command that we love one another, invalidates the gospel message and capacity of the church to fulfill the Great Commission Jesus has given to us.
Read Armstrong's book, please.
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